


Sharp Words, Cruel Fangs

by The_Pied_Piper



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Abduction, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Bat Family, Bat Family is BAT Family, Because what's high school without crude language, Coercion, Crude teen language, Forced Relationship, Gen, LITERALLY, Stalking, Swearing, Teenage Stupidity, Vampires, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-18
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-03-08 02:12:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3191453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Pied_Piper/pseuds/The_Pied_Piper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally didn't think life could get any worse when his dad forced them all to move to Gotham.<br/>But this was GOTHAM, so of course it had to prove him wrong.<br/>All he wanted was a friend, now he has a stalker with a tendency to kill new acquaintances. Lovely.</p><p>(or that one AU where the Bat Family are all vampires, and Wally manages to end up in the middle of it all. But hey, at least Grayson is happy to have his new friend/meat bag.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

This, Wally decided, was the worst time of his life.

He was only fifteen years old, it wasn’t like he had a lot of life to compare it to, but he was very certain of this fact. It out-beat any point that he was ever grounded, and even surpassed the time he inadvertently killed his cousin’s dog. All because his father lost his previous job and had to move his family.

To _Gotham._

Who willingly moves to _Gotham_?

 _Well, not me, at least._ Wally frowned out the window of his new room as daily life dwindled down in the lesser suburb. His entire life had been snuggly built in Blue Valley Kansas, and partly enjoyed in the nearby Central City when he visited his uncle Barry. He couldn’t believe that less than a month ago, he had still been in his old room, looking out the window much like this, and thinking it was _boring. Idiot!_ He didn’t know how good he had it till _this_ happened.

There wasn’t even a real warning, a real sign. His dad just suddenly came home devastated one day, telling him and his mom they had cut him and several other workers from the factory due to downsizing, and that he didn’t have a job. Wally had an entire week to wonder how that would affect them- would he have to sell some of his stuff? Would they be eating less? Could they afford their current mortgage? But as soon as he got home later that week, resolved to fasten down and help however he could, he was met with twin relieved smiles stating his dad’s old employer sent out word and he had an opportunity already lined up for him.

Just not in Blue Valley.

Which meant Wally had _three days_ to say bye to friends at school, and Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris, because _surprise!_ He no longer was in control of anything!

That was about the point he decided to _not_ be helpful. Oh sure, he packed, and he lifted boxes too heavy for his mother, and he read map directions, but his attitude?

Definitely left wanting.

Which is how he ended up in his room- it had been two weeks since they’d moved in, and despite everything that made Gotham _Gotham_ , his dad was chipper with his new pay, and his mom was settling in. And they were fed up with his unyielding attitude.

_“Have you even tried to make friend, Wally?” His mother looked up from the TV special, frowning at his latest report that amounted to ‘this new school sucks’._

_“Friends with_ who _? They’re all snobs, mom! Why the hell couldn’t I stay in public school?” His science grades had achieved him a scholarship straight to Gotham Academy- home to the richest ass holes in the nation. And Wally wasn’t converting to their kind._

_“Wally, this is the best opportunity our family has ever had!” Mary stood from the couch, by passing the boxes still filled with their earthly possessions. “We know it was abrupt, but your behavior lately has been unacceptable!”_

_“Why’d we have to move to_ Gotham _?” Wally bypassed her accusation, attacking with his own. “If dad’s work was so thoughtful, why couldn’t they have helped us settle in a new place in Central- like his other coworkers? This is_ Gotham _! Home of the richest jerks and the freakiest crime rates in the world! They didn’t do us_ any _favors!”_

 _“_ Enough _!” Mary grabbed his shoulder, the force of her hold telling him they weren’t discussing this further. “I will_ not _tolerate you talking like this,_ especially _about the sacrifices your father made for us! Go to your room- and when I make supper, you_ will _have a better attitude when you come down!”_

_He wretched out of her grip, stomping for emphasis as he left. “I’m not changing my attitude for your mistake- so don’t bother setting a place for me!”_

_“_ Wallace-! _” but by then he had slammed his new room’s door firmly, quickly turning the lock and putting in music to drown out whatever screaming she might attempt._

That had been six hours ago. He had eventually taken the plugs out, and had heard his dad come home three hours before. Dinner must have happened, but he’d take the pang of hunger over admitting he was wrong for as long as it took.

Which was until breakfast, at the rate he was going.

Really, though. Gotham was known for its unfriendly, psychopathic population, and he had thus far not seen _anything_ contrary to that ideal. His one _small_ consolation was a girl he met two blocks down. With her attitude, he wasn’t likely to get any friendship out of that blond harpy, but _man_ did she have a nice figure- and he wasn’t above strategically placing himself around the area to admire it- especially when she went running.

But one hot babe did not make up for a world of egocentric, vicious, shallow sheep the world had the audacity to call _people_.

 _I need out- I just… need out!_ He’d heard about the dangers of being out on Gotham streets once the sun went down, and normally he’d heed them. But his parents had expressedly forbid him to go on any night endeavors like he used to in Blue Valley- and he was in a rebellious sort of mood.

Glancing back at his door, noting no sounds were coming from the other side, he quickly unlocked the latch and checked the fire escape. As far as he knew, he was the only one ever tempted in this condo-complex to use it, and that was to his advantage.

Quickly, he grabbed his pocket knife and cell ( _just in case_ ), then exited onto the iron rigs. Closing the window behind him, he ensured the lock didn’t latch on him, then proceeded to escape down the stairway into the back ally. It was gated to keep the homeless people from digging through their trash, but the fence did little to stop a healthy, fit fifteen year old boy.

Without further fanfare, he quickly pulled up his hood and jogged to a nearby park. Let the stupid muggers and psychopaths come. This was the lowest he’d ever been.

So what could possibly make it worse?


	2. Chapter 2

Absently, Wally wondered if the red sky was a permanent fixture in Gotham. It was never _dark_ , per say, but when the sun left and the moon rose, there was very little chance of seeing anything outside of earth’s atmosphere due to the heavy haze of fog, which coincidentally glowed that ominous red admist the city lights.

Either way, it didn’t really help his mood. All it did was remind him that he could be in Central City, sitting out behind his Uncle’s place and roasting s’mores while the Allen family regaled him with stories from their respective work places.

He had a relationship with his Aunt and Uncle that he just couldn’t have with his parents. Parents had to enforce rules and punishments, his favorite relatives just let him do his own thing. With the Wests he was too embarrassed to bring up certain things that could happen in school or with himself, but his Aunt and Uncle were always there to give solid advice.

It just wasn’t fair.

The other permanent fixture in Gotham was the sad excuse for greenery. It probably had something to do with the red lighting at night, but nothing seemed to grow that healthy shade of green- it was all dark, and foreboding. Like someone genetically modified everything to get rid of that healthy green glow plants were _supposed_ to have. It was making his idea to go through the park kinda suck. A lot.

_There’s nothing for me in this stupid city. I hate everything!_

What did weird him out though (even more than Gotham’s messed up atmosphere), was the eerie silence that had been following him around. True, he could hear some cars in the distance- a radio playing and a man yelling a few blocks down, but nothing where _he_ was. _Isn’t that a thing? Where if a big predator comes by all the smaller animals hide and stay quiet in fear?_

…Nah.

He came to the fountain set in the middle of the park- which had seen better days since there was no sign of water and a plethora of graffiti art. Wally sighed, scanning the dark world. “Man, even if this _is_ the land of perpetual darkness, you’d think _somebody_ would do a better job with keeping public spots in shape.” He missed Blue Valley, he missed _normalcy_. “No wonder this place is full of psychos. It’s like a natural invitation.” He smirked to himself.

But the smirk dropped when his comment was met with a very, very creepy cackle.

_Holy Shit- someone’s here!_ He turned his back on the fountain, glancing around furiously. The laugh was echoing everywhere, no real point of origin available. His brain took this as the perfect opportunity to remind him that he wasn’t supposed to go out due to the _criminals, killers, and rapists_ that seemed to lurk the Gotham underbelly. He fumbled for the pocket knife, his belligerent courage from earlier failing him. _Christ, I only have a pocket knife, what is_ wrong _with me?_

“Uh… hello?” He tried not to look blatantly terrified, but he wasn’t exactly well-versed in these situations. He was nervous, and when he was nervous, he tended to run his mouth. “Look, glad you appreciate my humor and all, but creeping on a guy is just rude. Like on a scale of Tom Hiddleston to the Grinch, you’d be leaning at lot closer to the latter.” Ah, yes, there it was.

“You shouldn’t be out here.”

Wally did _not_ squawk. But he _may_ have admitted a noise of surprise when a voice sounded from _right behind him_. He swung around, and naturally tripped himself in the process. The teen hit the ground with a  clatter- most of the noise coming from the pocket knife now a few too many feet away from being useful. Recovering, he looked up as the laugh sounded again, panic making his breath pick up and god he prayed they at least found his body because he was alone and isolated and _shit shit shit_ he was such a stupid kid-

Well, at least he was in good company.

The kid, _the kid_ , who had startled him laughed again, another one of those dry cackles that echoed eerily around them. With a grace that should _not_ be allowed for such a gangly kid (not even a _teen_ , a _kid_ ), the black haired boy leaped off from where he had been on the fountain, stopping just on the rim to grin down at Wally with an infuriating air of arrogance. To complete the surreal experience, the kid was wearing _sunglasses_ at 11pm. What even…?

“There are some pretty dangerous guys out here that would take you out in seconds.” The kid picked off where he left off, the delivery of his tone was cold with an underlying cynical air that- combined with a rather shit eating grin- made Wally shiver.

There was something about the thin being in front of him- it set off alarm bells that made no sense in his brain of science and logic. Brushing it aside ( _probably spooked by Gotham’s freaking atmosphere_ ) he got down to what was important. “Dude- you’re a _kid_!”

The arrogant smirk returned. “And this is a shot in the dark, but you must be Captain Obvious.”

Wally winced as he picked himself up, grateful that he had nothing more than a scrape on his palm to show for his lack of coordination. That would be easier to pass of with his parents than a huge bruise not their the previous night. He glanced belatedly at the pocket knife still on the ground- instincts saying to _vault for protection you idiot_ , then ignored it and focused on the kid instead. “As a matter of fact, it’s _Mister Obvious_.” He couldn’t help his own self-deprecating grin. “But my friends call me Wally.”

Just as he had hoped, the kid let out a snort of mirth, some of the cold eddying away- just slightly.“ _Wally_? What kind of karma did you get born with to deserve _that_?”

“Its short for _Wallace_ , unfortunately. I take what wins I can.”

The boy sat down on the rim, cocking his head to the side in a way reminiscent of a bird. “Not only are you wandering in the dark of Gotham _alone_ , you’re giving out your name like candy. You were _just_ complaining about our resident psychos.” His face scrunched up behind the glasses, making a faux show of being genuinely concerned. “What is _wrong_ with you?”

“Hey, says the kid creeping on the fountain! I’m pretty sure there’s a pot and kettle that are black involved here.” Wally folded his arms in a slightly exaggerated grumpy manner. “I’m not used to being stuck indoors like this for my ‘safety’. Blue Valley and Central have crime, but it’s never bad enough to keep me off the streets.”

The kid- and speaking of _rude_ , he still hadn’t introduced himself yet- knocked a hand against his forehead. “That explains it- you’re not from here! Should have known by your smell alone, I guess.”

_My_ smell _? Does Gotham have such a problem you can_ smell _who lives here? Ew._ “Yeah, well, if I had a choice, I’d never have set foot in this city.”

“Most people end up coming to that conclusion sometime in their lives here.” He saw the black haired kid’s eyebrows rise above the glasses. “What brought you here? Visiting? Living?”

Wally scoffed, turning and dramatically sitting next to the boy. He saw the other kid tense- and again that flutter of fear echoed through him, but it was ignored in the name of conversation. “If you can call being forced here _living_ , then yeah.” He shrugged one shoulder, brow furrowing as he remember his earlier qualms. “My dad had to go and lose his job, and packed my family up and hauled us _here_. He and mom think it’s the best thing that could have happened, and _I’m_ the one not getting with the program.” He looked over at the kid, and couldn’t help noticing how pale the kid looked in the dark. Well, that settled it. Gotham didn’t get enough sunlight either. _This city was so shitty._ “That’s why… I’m out here to clear my head, I guess.”

“Hmm, you mean sticking it to your parents in an act of rebellion.”

“Dude, what are you- ten? Try to sound your age- none of that maturity crap.”

_That_ got another huge laugh from the stranger, the sound curling at the end with an air of irony that Wally couldn’t place. “Try to sound my age, huh? I’ll have you know, I’m _thirteen_. Plenty old to be mature.”

“As a fifteen year old, I firmly disagree with you.”

“And there you go again, giving out your information.”

“Yes, kettle, this pot hears you loud and clear.”

The boy grunted and let it pass, the smile turning smaller. His grins and smiles never widened enough to show teeth. “I wasn’t kidding though, there are some messed up things out here in Gotham, _especially_ at night. You should head home.”

“No offense, but having someone younger than me say _I’m_ the one in danger offends my sense of masculinity.”

“Based on that shriek when I revealed myself, you don’t have much of it.”

“Quiet. Either way, I still need some time before heading back to all of _that_.” He waved a hand in the air, as if the gesture could encompass his home life. A second later, though, Wally was struck by inspiration so _obvious_ it shouldn’t have taken that long to think of it. “Dude! We should hang out!”

Weirdly, as soon as he said it, the boy absolutely _stilled_. Wally was working himself up to being spooked by the virtual frozen appearance until the kid talked again. His voice had lost that sing-song arrogance, the mischievous lilt. “You… you want to hang out? With _me_?”

He sounded so incredulous. Like the question was bizarre rather than his reaction. “Well, yeah. You seem like a fun guy. And hey, we both sneak out into dangerous situations when its dark- we have so much in common.” Wally wiggled his eyebrows, trying to coax another laugh from the kid, but he remained quiet, unable to digest Wally’s words.

“No one… no one ever hangs out with me. They don’t want to.” The last sentence was delivered with a self-deprecating tone, sparking a stir of pity in Wally.

“Really? Well ‘they’ must be idiots.”

Finally, a choked laugh broke through the kid’s shock. “No, I’m pretty sure _you’d_ be considered the idiot here.”

“Nice, real great way to start this whole friendship thing.”

The kid froze all over. “ _Friends_? With _me_?”

“You know, if you keep reacting this way, I’m going to suspect major bullying issues.”

“No, no, its not like that, but…”peered at him, his eyes still hidden, but the expression had turned oddly vulnerable. “You really want to hang out with me? Be my… friend?”

“Why  not? You’re the first kid I’ve met who doesn’t make me want to bang my head against a wall rather than talk to you- and no offense, but your response kinda makes me think you could use one too.” He grinned reassuringly, freckles standing out in the streetlights. Half-mockingly, he held out a hand. “So, whadda ya say? Friends?”

The boy looked at the hand for a long time, face saying he was at war with himself on the matter. But he glanced up to see Wally’s sincere face, and a quieter, but much more genuine smile bloomed over his features. Reaching out his own hand, which Wally realized was too cold from sitting on the stone, he shook firmly. “Friends.”

They stayed out for several more hours, neither apparently worried about their respective parental figures in the name of actually having someone close in age to talk to. Videogames were a huge chunk of topic (‘ _You’ve already played Santa Prisca Invasion 3?! That’s not in stores yet!_ ’ ‘ _Connections, Wally. Connections._ ’ ‘ _Say you’ll lend it to me._ ’ ‘ _Only if you let me borrow your Reflected Darkly copy. My dad thinks the content is too misleading to buy it for me._ ’ ‘ _Done deal, dude._ ’), as well as what the crappiest feature of Gotham was (‘ _I don’t know why we’re arguing this; the red skies are freaky as hell, hands down._ ’ ‘ _Nah, adds to the Gotham charm. It’s the tainted water you have to feel nervous about. Supposed to have a mixed concoction of chemical waste and the blood of killed inmates at Arkham Asylum._ ’ ‘ _Thanks, I really needed to know that._ ’), but it mostly jumped around everything, giving the two teens a chance to learn more about the other.

Wally learned by the end of the night that the kid didn’t like being touched unless he initiated it himself- after one too many flinches of Wally shoving him in the shoulder or musing his hair. Similarly, while he let Wally gripe endlessly about his family woes, he remained pretty tight lipped about his own. The boy learned that Wally practically spoke a second language through touching, though, and did his best to return the gestures and tolerate when they came unexpectedly. Finally, the black haired kid looked over to the east, apparently seeing some change Wally couldn’t. “I have to get going- I haven’t eaten tonight, and I’m th… well, kinda starving.”

“Yeah, I think its time I head back too.” Wally hadn’t wanted to admit it while they were talking, but he was starting to feel weary to the bone. If he didn’t get back soon, he wasn’t going to have any sleep before school. “Is it safe for you to head back on your own? How far is home?”

The boy laughed again, like Wally told an inside joke. “Trust me, I’ll be fine. _You_ be safe- wandering around like an idiot in a new city isn’t going to help you last long.”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say.” Wally pushed off the rim, barely remembering to pick up the still discarded pocket knife. “Wait,” he turned back. “Can I have your number? How can I find you later?”

Another laugh. “I’ll give you my number next time. Don’t worry, I’ll find you easily.”

“Wow, really holding on to that creepy title, aren’t you?” Shaking his head, ignoring the whispering flutter of unease, he turned to head out the way he came. “Be seeing you, kid!”

“Hey!”

Wally turned again, seeing the kid had also vaulted with that unfathomable grace onto the sidewalk. He gave another grin- the genuine kind. “My name’s Robin.”

The red head blinked. “Robin? Like the little bird?”

“Watch it.”

“You have no right to make fun of my name.”

“Psh, whatever.” The kid turned, still keeping eye contact as he walked the opposite direction. “Get some sleep, Wally.”

Wally grinned stupidly. “Sure thing. Be safe, Rob!” He snickered as the smaller boy let out a sound of exasperation, then headed home. The trip back was even easier than the way there, and when he fell to his bed, playing back the events of the evening through his head with a smile, he didn’t even notice the additional shadow being caste into his room, vigilantly watching him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Head's up- Wally is a jerk, but I feel like when it comes to 'ladies', he's still too immature for that not to be a thing.  
> And swearing- teens trying to one up the other, the works

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Head's up- Wally is a jerk, but I feel like when it comes to 'ladies', he's still too immature for that not to be a thing.  
> And swearing- teens trying to one up the other, the works.  
> Promise there will be more Rob Wally interaction next chapter, but this was filler that needed to be established. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Whatever good memories of the night before still fluttered in his conscious that morning were abruptly shredded when the first thing he hears at Gotham Academy is that a dead body had been found less than a block from that park.

Wally _knew_ murder was a thing in Gotham- the whole city was embarrassed to have held the highest murder rate in the country for the last five years. His dad had a habit of watching the news, and crime was talked about with as much blasé attitude as the weather here.

But all he could think about was Rob, and how stringy and small he was, and Wally shouldn’t have let him go home alone- he was such an idiot. Wally was the older one, he was new to the city, but he had responsibility. The fatal _whatifwhatifwhatif_ questioning played in his head until he managed to find time in first period to check the news on his phone. The second he read that the victim was a 32 year old male, he had exhaled a sigh of relief that garnered a few wary glances from his classmates. The story was still gruesome though- signs of a struggle were indicated by the minimal bruising, and it was clearly a vindictive attack rather than a mugging gone wrong- since his wallet was still present, but the throat had been cut by a sharp object. The police were slightly baffled that the wound didn’t spray more blood, but it coincided with similar cases they’d seen throughout the last several years. Which, great- there was a serial killer on the loose.

Of course it was a serial killer.

Gotham probably had five official ones and seven unofficial. God this place sucked.

But with Wally’s extensive playing history of violent video games, he was desensitized to the situation and- seeing as his new best bud was not involved- was over it by the end of the day. In fact, he found he could make light of it- and used it as the perfect opportunity to break the ice with miss harpy. Because that sexy figure was worth at least _trying_ to play nice.

Trying, key word. Because it ended in an epic explosion of failure.

As the final bell for the day rang, he had approached her- alone at her locker, as was per usual. It was one other thing going for her: she clearly understood that the suck ups they were surrounded by weren’t worth her time. Even the guys seemed to have learned to not try- but Wally knew he could beat the odds.

“So…” she glanced at him when he leaned non-chalantly against the neighboring locker, giving his best debonair smile, “Ariel, is it? Or should I just call you sexy? How’s it hangin’?”

If her exotic eyes narrowing immediately wasn’t a hint that he said the wrong thing, the slamming of the locker door certainly was. “It’s Artemis, actually. Up until a second ago, it was going good.”

_Playing hard to get, huh? Nothing the Wallman can’t handle._ “Sorry, Artemis. Cool name. And no worries, glad I can make a good day _great_. If you want, we can even go as far as making the day _fantastic_.”

For the record, she wasn’t supposed to _frown_ at that statement. Maybe a breathy giggle, or a small smile, but not a _frown_. “You made a good day go _sour_ , idiot. If the way you blatantly oogle me and the other girls is any indication, I think you’re going to want to take your sad jock efforts somewhere else. Before I irreversibly destroy certain body parts.” Then the chic had the _audacity_ to flounce away. _Flounce_.

But Wally wouldn’t be himself if he gave up- no longer to be friends, but out of sheer stubborn will that he _could_. Biting down his _bitch_ remarks, he quickly walked after her, catching up easily. They exited the building- most kids had already had their private chauffers or parents pick them up, but he knew for a fact she walked at least half of the same way home as him. Still, a change of tactic was going to have to happen. “Babe, hold up- can I at least walk part of the way home with you? Oogling will stay to a minimum-” Artemis turned and glared, “I mean _zero_ , _zero_ oogling will happen- okay? ‘Sides, with that serial killer around, it’s better to at least have someone around for a little while to keep you safe, right?”

The blond scoffed, rolling her eyes. “The chivalry isn’t needed- he’s not going to attack in broad _sunlight_.”

Wally raised an eyebrow, the phrasing of the answer totally throwing him off his Wallman game. “Well why not? Because it’s not cliché enough? And- yeah, probably a guy, but how do you know it’s not a _girl_?”

But she refused to answer him. “Look, I don’t want to make friends, okay? I have too much on my plate to bat my eyelashes and stupidly giggle at some newbie who has a crush on me.”

Okay, that did it. He stopped where he was on the sidewalk- watching as she continued on without a backward glance. “Woah there, Miss Congeniality. You know what? Fine. So _rry_ for extending the olive branch. Thought there was at least one other kid at this school who didn’t fall into either category of _stuck up asshole_ or _fucking bitch_ \- but my mistake, you clearly fit both categories!”

_That_ got a reaction, which he was vindictively appreciative of even as he cringed at his own stupidity. She whirled on him, grey eyes glinting and her hair looking incredibly good despite being on such a rude head. “Oh, that’s rich- coming from the guy who’s practically stalked me since day one!”

“I have _not_!”

“You sit on the same freaking corner every time I jog and _leer_ , you pervert!”

“I was admiring your beautiful physique!” He threw his hands in the air, exasperated and hoping the dramatic gesture pulled her eyes away from his reddening ears. “But trust me- I’ve learned my lesson- that body is _not_ worth dealing with your shit! There’s plenty of girl’s who’d want a piece of this!”

“Good of you to _say_ , you bastard!” She turned around, taking a few furious steps away, before turning back once more. “It’s no wonder you can’t make any friends yet- I’ll give you a hint; it’s not because of the snobby rich kids, it’s more to do with your _inflated ego_!”

“You are _so off base_!” But she was already stalking away, throwing a parting finger in the air to verbalize what she didn’t say. Cursing under his breath, Wally scuffed at the sidewalk and hurried down a different street. It wasn’t the normal route home, but he’d be damned if he trailed behind that hot head like some sulking loser. _‘It’s more to do with your_ inflated ego _!’ Look who’s talking sweet heart!_ He grit his teeth. “I do _not_ have an inflated ego. I’m _self-confident_.”

Well, at least there was one way he could prove her wrong- he did have a friend, and he wasn’t going to lose him to ‘an inflated ego’. Wally felt uneasy earlier about trying to find Robin so soon after that attack, but what the hell- he had a point to prove.

Besides, if what Rob creepily said before was anything to go by, he’d find _him_ so they could hang out.


	4. Chapter 4

His parents, for their part, were letting up for now on him being smiley about the move. Wally knew it was in part that he stopped complaining, but he also knew they had seen the nearby murder on the evening news.

Hard to speak glory about a place that has unsolved murders happening down the block.

Still, they were parents, and at the dinner he participated in, he was sworn to not to take any chances, to stay on the lit paths and near busier areas when he went to or from school. They even were good enough to remind him that unless it was a school event, they would rather him not go out in the dark.

Wally did his part and nodded, mumbling affirmation into his alfredo noodles, all the while figuring out how soon he could finish his AP Chemistry homework to go find Robin.

Luckily he had been so effectively miserable before that the West parents wouldn’t dream of him setting foot willingly outside. So the moment they turned on their late night programming, he put together his ‘Wally’s still here’ pillow formation under the covers before stealthily heading down the fire escape.

_I hope he shows up in the same spot._ The teen glanced warily down alleyways, skirting around any suspicious characters slumped against various walls. Truthfully, the deep gloom and doom of Gotham was really making him worry that his stupid ass would be just lucky enough to meet up with a murderer tonight; and it did _not_ help that he was so paranoid as to feel like he was being followed. He _knows_ that’s not the case, he’s gone back and changed things up and looked over his shoulder every chance he got, and no one was following from behind. Either way, the sooner he found Robin, the better.

He had broken into a jog at one point, and made it to the fountain in decent time. It didn’t appear that anyone was there though- a fact that left his gut roiling in fear. Because _no_ , he didn’t want to stand so blatantly in the open- not with the close proximity of killers in his neighborhood. He kept a firm grip on his knife, hoping God was thoughtful enough to not make him need it. _C’mon Robin, where are you?_ He turned away from the fountain, scanning the dark trees.

Abruptly, a familiar cackle sounded behind him, and just like before he jolted badly. There may or may not have been a scream. Once recovered, he blew out a furious breath, turning to face the smirking kid- _who was right behind him_. He flailed a second time and fell on his butt with a squawk- getting yet another laugh out of the kid. But seriously- _how did he get so freaking close?_ Man, maybe he was so paranoid that it blocked his senses from the obvious.

_Or it’s probably because he’s such a huge ninja troll._

“’Sup Wally?” Robin gave a wide grin, still not exposing his teeth. “I see your masculinity is still at an all-time zilch.”

“Just a head’s up, that joke was old yesterday.” Wally stiffly got up, trying not to be gruff. “Seriously dude- we don’t need to take lessons on friendship do we?” The kid’s cocky attitude melted back into that strangely vulnerable persona, and Wally mentally kicked himself for saying the ‘f’ word.  “Sorry.” He threw out, sending a reassuring smile. “I don’t handle being a total loser very well.”

“You’re not a total loser.” Robin quickly threw out, before catching himself when it came out too earnest. Smirking again, he leaned back nonchalantly. “Mostly, not _totally_. And I’m sure we can work on you not screaming like a girl.”

“Ha, ha.” Wally relaxed again, glad his friend was back out of the weird funk. “You know, I meant to say something last night- but sunglasses? With no sun? Doesn’t make much sense.”

“I like to maintain an air of mystery.” Robin waved off the comment dismissively. “Plus, hiding your eyes adds an intimidation factor.” Without missing a beat, the kid _somersaulted backwards_ and landed in a perfect crouch on the concrete and stone architecture.

“Oh?” Wally drawled, walking over and sitting back on the fountain’s edge- like he wasn’t super impressed by the gangly kid. “And how’s that working for you? Being intimidating?”

Robin laughed more darkly than necessary. And Wally firmly ignored the goosebumps that resulted. “Oh, it’s working _perfectly_.”

“R _iii_ ght.”

“So, are we going to hang out now?” The 13-year-old leaned closer expectantly- way too excited about the idea to be healthy.

“Dude, we’re _already_ hanging out.” Wally frowned slightly, a thought coming to mind. “Oh yeah. So- I’m totally doing this behind my parent’s backs, but how are _you_ getting away with this? I mean- someone just got _killed_ last night and you’d think your parents would be more- I dunno, protective with letting you out?”

Robin’s expression remained a perfect mask. “Oh, you heard about that?” He shrugged lightly. “Happens.”

Wally sputtered at the blasé air the kid was giving off- temporarily forgetting the importance of authority figures. “Dude- a guy was _murdered_! You can’t just- just be ‘meh’ about it!”

“Hey, that’s Gotham dude.” The slight boy held up a hand, exaggeratingly counting on his fingers. “We have murders on Mondays and Thursdays, rape every other day, Gang War Fridays, and every weekend there’s at least one corrupt corporate exposure day.”

The red head gapped at him. He couldn’t just _talk_ about those things like there was a chance of showers! This wasn’t weather forecast! _This Gotham place is so fucked up._ “Look, I knew I was moving to the land of perpetual darkness, but really, don’t you want to be a little bit concerned?”

“No point. I bet he deserved it anyway.” Robin threw in, a small frown forming on his face as he stared towards the city buildings. “Most people in Gotham deserve the fates they get.”

“Yeah?” Wally didn’t really want to talk about it, but he felt responsible to convincethe kid to be more careful. “What if it happens to you one of these days? Heck, with my luck it’ll end up happening to me.”

Robin’s head turned so fast it was spooky. “It won’t happen to you, _ever_.”

Wally backed up a little, trying to calm the spike in his heart beat. “I’m sure now that you’ve declared it the murderer won’t come near me. You know, since you’ll intimidate him into listening with your glasses-on-at-night schtick.”

“I mean it Wally. You’ll stay safe.”

“Okay, uh, whatever you say.”

The conversation drifted off to an uneasy silence, and Wally couldn’t help but wonder at the weird behavior. It felt like he should be picking up on something that was just flitting around his mind- and if he could just sit back and _think_ , he’d realize it. But instead as the air grew more uncomfortable, Farty Arty came to mind- and her heinous parting words to him.

Rob was his friend, and he wasn’t about to lose him to awkward situations. He bumped the other teen’s shoulder, ignoring the tense and waiting patiently till the black shades turned to him questioningly.

“So… which is better, pirate or ninja?”

Robin grinned.

They talked on just like before- hitting every topic in the book and strategically avoiding any further mentions of parents or the murder. As promised, Rob produced a sleek new phone and gave Wally his number to add to the hand-me-down extra Mr. West had given him. After they had accomplished exchanging numbers (with Rob overly-warning him that he tended to ignore texts during the day because of his schedule), Wally went in full swing to show Robin exactly which games were the most addicting to play on his mobile.

Finally, Robin looked up, again staring off into the distance as if seeing something Wally couldn’t. “We should start heading back.”

Wally knew that- logically- the kid was right. It had been _hours_ since he had taken off, and he had school the next day. Still, part of him wanted to stay with the shrimpy kid. There was just something about Robin that excited Wally in a way he never felt back in normal Blue Valley. “But duuude~, we still need to see who makes it to level 30!”

Frowning, Robin turned back to Wally, assessing his features. Over the course of the night they had ended up scooting closer for the sake of keeping an eye on the competition as they gamed, but Wally hadn’t realized just how close until he could distinctly _hear_ Robin breath in oddly. Was he… sniffing him? What- did he pass gas?

“Uh, Rob?”

Robin smirked once more, and surprising Wally, took off the sunglasses to reveal some of the bluest eyes he had ever seen. The red head stared dumbly at them- embarrassingly mesmerized by the stark color.

To make matters weirder, Robin leaned _closer_ \- and Wally was positive that tickling sensation near his throat meant the kid was _definitely_ sniffing him. But even though he could _think_ that- the associated outrage and discomfort were absent. All Wally could think was _wow those eyes_. They were practically hypnotizing. _No wonder he wears glasses._ He thought stupidly.

As if catching himself, Robin leaned away, eyes once again meeting Wally’s boring green. “Go home, Wally.”

The teen isn’t sure what happened after that. They might have exchanged generic farewells, he might have hugged the kid. Hell, he might have scaled a tree and howled at the moon. It doesn’t matter because his mind was entirely blank. Once second he was there at the park- the next he was looking at his dummy pillow self, safely in his room. Before he could even ask himself _what the hell just happened_ , exhaustion finally hit him, and he unceremoniously fell to the bed- the few birds nearby just starting to chirp out the new day.


	5. Chapter 5

It shouldn’t have been that big of a deal for him, but it was.

He couldn’t get over how he managed to forget _an entire night_. Well, technically it was only the getting home part, but _man_ was he really that tired? That had never happened to him before, he’d never… maybe there was something to what Robin had said about Gotham’s tainted water awhile back, maybe he was getting some weird brain disease.

Well, either way, he wasn’t going to _mention_ it. His parents would see right through it if he doctored the timing and have a fit more that he left the house than his memory slip. And Robin seemed to swing way too dangerously from thinking he was the ever-so-cool thirteen year old that teased Wally for his naivety, to this vulnerable and sad kid who was scared Wally would suddenly decide he hated him. He’d probably think Wally was _blaming_ him for the random malfunction, think that Wally didn’t want to be around him.

So, no mentioning it. To anyone.

Which was still okay, because he was okay. It was two weeks later and it had only happened one other time (which sucks, because that night had been a really great conversation with his best bud, and he remembers the kid reminding him of the time, but he’s going to regret it if they’d had more awesome conversations after that). He and Arty-the-harpy had come to an agitated stand-off, and he hadn’t really warmed up to any of the other kids yet, but that didn’t matter when he had Robin.

Well… there was one other thing, though.

Again- _so not_ that big of a deal. In fact, there was every chance of it being really bad paranoia because this _was_ Gotham city he was forced into living in. There was a known serial killer on the loose and everything. But as soon as it got dark, if he was ever outside (which with seeing Rob had become a lot more frequent than he would ever have thought), Wally had the distinct feeling of… unease.

Okay, it felt like someone was stalking him.

Which again- _totally ridiculous_. Because something would have _happened_ by now if some malicious person was following him. And the feeling was persistent- he’d tried several different routes, doubled back and took unnecessary turns- the whole shebang. Nothing shook the feeling from him though. His fifth night, he had actually been a little wound tight from a rough day at school, and had taken advantage of his years in track by quickly going back around a corner.

And for his troubles, he almost got a face full of bat.

It had been flying on silent wings, but at his cry of panic since _A BAT WAS ABOUT TO FLY IN HIS FACE_ the semi large mammal let out its own chittering squeak before gracefully flying up, flipping backwards, and settling a little disgruntledly on the fire escape ladder.

Wally scanned the rest of the area, but there had only been them- and bats don’t stalk people. Groaning at his own stupidity, he rubbed his tired eyes, then with a parting “Sorry, bat.” _Thought you were a stalker_ , he made his way to Rob, not noticing the glowing red eyes blinking after him.

Since that moment of self-humiliation, he had done his best to ignore his paranoia, especially when it seemed Robin was catching on to his concerns- and teased him mercilessly over it. ( _“Wally, you’re probably the safest guy in Gotham.” “What, you think I’m too annoying to interest a serial killer? Should I be offended?” “Whoever it is wouldn’t be able to get around your giant ego to actually do some damage anyway.” “I don’t have an ego, I’m_ self-confident _.”_ )

So, for now, the memory slips and constantly-watched-feeling were ignored. Because aside from that, he honestly had it _good_. He wasn’t great friends with anybody, but (and _not_ because of what Artemis said) he had toned down the ‘Wall-man’ and found people at least willing to put up with him during school hours. His parents were laying off of him fully accepting his dark new home in the name of family civility, and thanks to Robin, he never really had enough time to feel lonely for his old life.

It was good, and more importantly, it was almost to the point of normalcy.

Of course, Robin was once again the one to shake things up for his life.

He was getting out of school later than normal due to a history project, and had texted Rob a heads up that they wouldn’t get to hang since he needed to take a night to _actually_ do his homework and not let his grades slip. His parents, though reluctant since the killings haven’t let up (Even if they were moving further away), okayed his late curfew for that evening. The sun had just about set in the sky, most of the world tinged back to the foreboding red of Gotham night.

He hadn’t even gotten a full block from the school when he heard it, the sounds of a scuffle going down. Wally had been warned over and over again by his teachers and classmates alike that Gotham was different than wherever-the-hell he was from; when you heard sounds of a fight or distress in an alley, _you run, you don’t play hero._

But Wally didn’t believe in running when someone needed help.

And it was a good thing he hadn’t, because after cautiously following the sounds till he saw a group far in the dead end, straining to hear what was going on.

“… going to burn you good until your master shows ‘is face.”

“Not ‘fore I get revenge for Drew, though. You leeches ‘ave gone unchallenged long enough!”

“What, you really think you can take me?” Wall felt his body go cold as he recognized that too-young arrogant tone. “Come on then, guys, wouldn’t want to wait around and play _victim_ for you.”

_Oh shit. Oh shit ohshitohSHIT._

Robin. It was _Robin_.

There were three men, two of them who looked more like goons than people and one thin ferret looking one. They were cornering his friend, and it was too dark to see right, but it looked like the weapons were more impromptu than intentional ( _Is that a_ tent steak _? The hell?!_ ). Wally couldn’t help but wonder what Rob had done to get _this_ kind of reaction- but the men were still threatening something or another under their breaths, and the weapons were getting too close to his friend.

Before he could question his sanity, he had dropped his backpack and run up behind them- tackling the closest one to the ground in an aggressive headlock. It was a miracle it worked. The second their attention turned to him, he looked at the younger boy. “Dude, run!”

Robin clearly hadn’t seen him come up, and had been crouched and snarling in a manner that sent panic through Wally. He ignored it, though, knowing it was more the situation than his friend truly scaring him ( _And like that pose is going to scare full grown men coming from a kid, dude!_ ). Honestly, Wally couldn’t see Rob that well, his darker clothes blending into the darkness so that he appeared to be more shadow than person at that point. But seeing Wally, his entire face slackened into a small open mouthed shock. It was too dark too see anything but the general details, but in the few seconds it took for the men to shout in surprise, to then shout in anger at Wally’s interference, Robin went from being against the wall, to _somersaulting up and leaping off it_ onto another guy, then shoving him to the ground as he leapt off again and landed next to his friend. The remaining one looked between the two, then started to zone in on Rob again ( _Seriously Rob, what did you do?!_ ).

“I already called the police!” Wally blurted, trying to think of anything that would stall these creeps. ( _Fuckfuckfuck that was the first thing I should have done fuck we are screwed_ ) The effect of his statement was lost, though, when the guy underneath him finally shoved him off. The two stood again, their shadowed profiles only appearing all the more menacing.

One raised his weapon- _was that a fucking shard of metal?_ “You’ll regret siding with that leech ‘ere, boy.”

He doesn’t stay to hear more, but not because he woke up from his paralysis of fear so much as Robin grabbing his wrist and _wrenching_ him around to then sprint like the devil was on their tails. Wally had always thought he was a good runner, and he was, but Robin kept up with him so _easily_ , and in such perfect form- you wouldn’t guess they were running for their lives instead of some nice 5k run. Every time Wally saw a bit of light from the sun still up- leading out to a populated street, Rob would yank him down a different ally. “This way! There’s a better route! Don’t let them catch you!”

The men were still coming, but gradually they were losing distance. Robin kept a brutal pace, but Wally was too hyped on panicked adrenaline and competitive nature to ask to slow. Finally, at a glance up, Rob stopped them and forced him to climb a fire escape of what looked like an abandoned warehouse. It was a smaller building, tucked into the shadows of the city, but the darkness gave them plenty of cover to avoid those goons.

They reached the top, and Wally immediately fell onto the roof gratefully, breathing in gulps of dirty air. He really hoped those guys didn’t catch them, because he was _not_ running like that again anytime soon.

Robin- the brat, didn’t even seem winded. He just stood there, at first scanning the ground below, then his eyes fixed on Wally’s slumped form. “You saved me.” His voice sounded astonished. “Were you really about to take on three guys on your own for me?”

And that, really, was what reminded Wally that his younger friend had been in life threatening danger and hadn’t had _any help_. “What the heck were you doing?!” He shakily rose to his feet, glaring down at his friend. “You were worried about _me_ taking those guys on? What about _you_?! Were you going to take on those three thugs? _Three_? _On your own_?! Does your guardian know where you are?! That you almost got lynched by a freaking _mob_!”

He shrugged, _shrugged_ , like it wasn’t that big of the deal, and went back to staring. “I would have done my best given the circumstances. You saved me, though.”

The clear awe in his voice made the anger drain somewhat from the red head’s tense form. He sighed, “ _Duh_ I saved you Rob, we’re friends.” On impulse he roughly pulled Robin into a hug. He felt the kid tense, then tentatively return the hug ( _Man they have to invest in a snuggy for this kid because he should not be that cold_ ). It made the Central City kid smile. “Can you not put yourself in danger like that dude? I don’t have the stamina for it.”

The figure hunched closer to him, burying his black mop of hair in Wally’s chest, laughing. “No promises.” Came the muffled reply. But his voice was warm, like Wally had done the amazing feat here by defending him. Hugging him.

Man was Gotham messed up.

A thought occurred to Wally- actually, several thoughts did. Why had Rob been there? Why were they chasing him? What the _hell_ was going on? But just as he thought to ask them, Robin tensed, quickly pulling away and whipping off his glasses, his intense blue eyes staring Wally down.

The thoughts stayed with him, but he didn’t remember that he wanted to say them until he realized he was back at his house, completely clear of the rooftop and melting onto his bed. He strained to hold the thoughts, to wake up and _don’tforgettheseareimportant_ but what felt like a wall of fog rose in his mind, and he went meekly to sleep.

When he woke up the next day, his backpack was in the room with him, the homework not done. His parents telling him that he had come home in quite the daze.

And on the morning news- the serial killer had struck again, this time killing three people. Wally shouldered his bag and walked to school, trying not to be haunted by the familiar looking corpses.


End file.
